HEAVIESHOSPICE
The second Tristar arrival. Tanker ZD953 also arriving late afternoon, but sadly it was too late for two others to fly in that day
emergency airport fire engine broke down and the flights were delayed on safety grounds until the service was available. Tristar ZD953 was the only one to make it that day, but it was accompanied by a BAe146, a first time visitor to Bruntingthorpe.
Finally, Tuesday 25th March was
Tristar ZD953 holding on the taxiway at Bruntingthorpe for the tow truck to arrive and take it to its final dispersal area
scheduled as heavy delivery day, with the final four Tristars set for delivery. As the day wore on, ZE704 finally appeared in the sky and touched down nearly three hours after its scheduled arrival time. Working miracles, the Squadron succeeded in delivering all the aircraft to Bruntingthorpe. ZD950 and ZD948 arrived late afternoon and in the closing dusk, using full landing lights, The last flight of Tristar ZD951 brought a close to the chapter.
What makes Bruntingthorpe
RAF BAe146 from Northolt providing a shuttle service to return the Tristar crew back to Brize Norton
suitable to take these large aircraft is its two mile long runway. RAF Bruntingthorpe was opened in 1942 and housed 29 Operational Training Unit, training wartime bomber crews on Vickers Wellingtons. In 1954, the airfield was adapted for use by the United States Air Force, first as a satellite for Alconbury, with a resident RB-66 reconnaissance squadron and then the airfield was expanded, with a lengthened runway for use by Boeing B-47s. The USAF left in the
early 1960s. Since then, the airfield was used as a test track for the Rootes Car Group and then acquired by C Walton Ltd, the current owners. It is still used as a car proving ground, but also operates light aircraft and houses the Cold War Collection Museum. For ‘Brick’ fans, it is also the home of The Buccaneer Aviation Group, whose aircraft are kept in excellent condition and participate in fast taxy runs down the runway on Cold War Jet show days.
Also at Bruntingthorpe are the
Lightning Preservation Group with their two aircraft housed in the Quick Reaction Alert Shed constructed on site. They too are kept in excellent condition and also participate in Cold War Jet show days, where you can really feel the noise.
The Bruntingthorpe museum
collection has other interesting aircraft, including their own ‘Heavy’ in the striking form of an Airbus Skylink Aero Spacelines 377SGT Super Guppy. This sits alongside six Jet Provosts, two Hunters, a German F-104G Starfighter, a Canberra a Nimrod and the famous Victor K.2 among others. It is well worth a visit.
My thanks to Gary Spoors of GJD
Services Ltd and to Dave Walton of Bruntingthorpe.
Bruntingthorpe’s own heavy, Aero Spacelines 377SGT Super Guppy. Certainly eye catching among the collection
Bruntingthorpe’s infamous Victor Tanker XM715 still popular on Cold War Jets shows.
ZE705 on the Bruntingthorpe Ramp waiting being joined by the remaining five Tristars at Brize Norton.
FEBRUARY 2015 • VOLUME 36 • ISSUE 12
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